Morning journal and courier., 1887-07-12
TwENTx-rwO LIVES LOST
By the Capsizing of the Mystery il
 IamaFca Rav


 CANARsIE, L. l., July 1.-The tug Alpeok with the sloops Homan and Veto arrived at the Canarsie dock this afternoon having in tow the unfortunate sloop Mystery, which was capsized yesterday while returning from picnic resort on Rufll Bar, which was found filled with water in the channel be- tween Dry Bar and Barren Island. On bail ing the water out of the sloop ten bodies were found in the cabin and were identified as follows: Frank and Lizzie Obermoz, of 14S Varick street, whose mother and infant brother were also drowned, and their bodies found last night Margaret O'Brien and two children-Willie and John; Philip and Henry s. Omberg, of 566 Grand street; Mary Grimes, aged twenty-five, of No. 13 Ellery street, and two children-Katie and Willie. Deputy Coroner Sielback says it has now been ascertained that twenty-two per sons were lost. A fleet of boats are out look ing for the missing bodies.
 The total number of persons in the Mys- tery at the time of the accident, including the captain, his son and one sailor. was thirty-four. Of these only ten are known to be saved. These are the sailor Schmidt Mrs. Lavenberg, Charlie Barder, Mrs. Obe- nier, Ida Obenier, Mary Bsondel, Katie Lud- wig, Mrs. Schwitzer and Mrs. Griems and the infant child of Mrs. O'Brien. This little one, however, did not recover from the shock, and died at the hotel this morning. The sailor Schmidt said this morning that Cap tain Hendrickson was perfectly sober when the party started from Rufae Bar, but that the accident was caused by the centerboard of the s1oop striking upon sandbar, caus- ing the boats head to fall off and throwing her around so that the mainsail swung about, causing the boat to fill and capsize. The survivors were all too much overcome by the accident to speak intelligently of the causes of it, or tell if anyone was at fault. Little Charlie Baeder, who saved the lives of Ida Obenier and Katie Ludwig by hauling them upon floating beer keg, said this morning that the captain was drinking beer with the others of the party, occasionally taking glass of whiskey.
 The mystery was owned by Captain John O'Brien of Canarsie, whose wife and three children were drowned. He formerly lived in Brooklyn, and the party on board of her and the sloop Chrystenah were old friends of his whose custom it was to form 8 family party and go to Canarsie once year for the purpose of taking sail, drinking beer and eating chowder. Captain James Williamson, who was in command of the Chrystenah, said: II had about fifteen people on my boat. Most of the women and children were on the Mystery, as she was considered the safest boat. When the Mystery capsized we were about a quarter of mile astern and to 1ee- ward of her. I steered towards her, but we stuck on 8 sand bar, and in some way the sheet of my mainsan was let go, and the boat swung around. I had to run across the in- let and come to anchor, but two men, John Schwotzer and John Booth, jumped over- board, swam to the Mystery, and helped to save those who were struggling in the water.
 MT. Hugh Littlejohn, the Superintendent of the Canarsie railroad, was on board the steamboat Julia, returning from Roekaway Beach, when the Mystery was capsized. He was about a mile astern of her, but was in another channel, and would have had to steam four or five miles to reach her. He said that as the boat went over there was quite heavy puff of wind which he believes struck the sloop while those in command of her were unprepared for squalls.